Fundraising Manager in Edinburgh

Use your exceptional fundraising skills and experience to save endangered species from extinction and improve people's lives through closer connections with nature. Join our small but highly successful team based in the heart of Edinburgh Zoo and you will have an amazing opportunity to make an impact on conservation in Scotland and around the world!

Who we are: The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) is a wildlife conservation charity with a bold vision: a world where nature is protected, valued and loved. Our 2030 strategy includes three ambitious pledges: to reverse the decline of 50 species; to create deeper connections with nature for more than one million people; and to enable more than 100 communities to better connect with nature.

The importance of your role: Individual giving and corporate support are vital to the delivery of RZSS's ambitious strategy and the Fundraising Manager is a senior role. Working with the Head of Fundraising and colleagues across RZSS, the postholder will manage a small team to deliver inspiring multi‑channel campaigns for individual giving, legacies and patrons as well as expanding a new major donor programme. The postholder will also manage the corporate partners programme and support the expansion of corporate sponsorship opportunities.

This hugely varied role will include responsibility for developing our donor journey, managing relationships with major donors, leading events and donor visits whilst ensuring all supporters receive excellent stewardship. The fundraising team are based in Edinburgh Zoo (albeit this role can be offered as a hybrid position). This is a permanent full‑time position, working 37.5 hours per week.

Some of the things you’ll do:

• Contribute to and support the implementation and delivery of the fundraising strategy and annual fundraising plans to meet agreed engagement targets.
• Manage the day‑to‑day operations of the Fundraising team, implementing innovative strategy and business plans, identifying opportunities, setting, and monitoring targets/budgets to maximise income from funders.
• Manage all aspects of the Fundraising team’s work on donation campaigns, legacy marketing and Patron’s programme. This includes developing the donor journey and working across RZSS teams on all aspects of marketing and implementing multi‑channel fundraising campaigns.
• Take the lead on developing a new major donor programme, building on existing relationships, developing cultivation events, visits and meetings as well as writing proposals.
• Contribute to and manage assigned RZSS strategic projects to quality, time and budget targets ensuring clear and concise communication as projects progress.
• Work on large or complex fundraising projects with strategic impact to revenue, helping to define projects as well as identifying and engaging donors.
• Manage, motivate and develop direct reports, following good practice and working within HR policy guidelines, so their performance meets or exceeds agreed performance standards.

What we’re looking for:

• Knowledge of donor cultivation and stewardship principles.
• Good understanding of the external fundraising environment in Scotland.
• Ability to build and maintain effective relationships, communicating confidently with Leadership teams and other departments to deliver high‑level cultivation and stewardship activity with a range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Practical application of using CRM databases e.g. Raisers Edge/ThankQ or another relevant database management system.

What you’ll get in return:

• Starting salary of £48,453 or £49,665 (offer based on experience) with future salary progression up to £54,007 per annum.
• 37.5 working week (may require some evening or weekend work on occasion).
• 34 days annual leave.
• Discount in both retail/catering.
• Access to a healthcare plan.
• Access to Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), that provide 24‑hour counselling and support, including health, legal, finance, wellbeing and family advice.
• Employer contributory pension scheme.
• You will receive a staff membership which will give you (and family/friends) free (and discounted) entry to both the Highland Wildlife Park and Edinburgh Zoo as well as a number of other Zoos across the UK.

Equal opportunities: The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland is an equal opportunities employer. Our policy is to recruit a diverse workforce following the guidelines of the Equality Act 2010. This role is subject to standard pre‑employment checks, including the candidate's right to work in the UK and Basic Disclosure check.